Don't fear the Reaper
by Quick-Demon
Summary: When people start suddenly dying, no disease outbreak and no causes to a seemingly random pattern of strange deaths, the brothers investigate. What happens when one of them is next? Wee!chesters. Hurt!Dean and Hurt!Sam and limpness ensured *on hold*
1. Death is only the beginning

Don't Fear the Reaper (song title by Blue Oyster Cult)

By: Quick-Demon

Raiting:T (just to be safe)

Disclaimer: Just borrowing the guys, I wish I could steal them tho (sigh) but I can't. Angry fangirls will chase me down if I did...

Summary: Everything is normal, well as normal in the life of a Winchester. That is until people start dying suddenly and they could be next… Pre-series. Sam 17 and Dean (turning) 21. Hurt Dean and Hurt Sam! Some brotherly stuff and maybe (if you're good) some angsty big brother stuff... but we'll see...

* * *

Sam felt the breath knocked out of him. He wheezed as his stomach recoiled with hurt. He wanted desperately to cover his midsection with his arms but two pairs of arms held his own. So all he could do was stand on wobbly on two legs gritting his teeth and sucking his breath as the pain continued to throb.

He opened his eyes in mere slits and saw how empty and blue the sky was, the sun seemed to be hiding somewhere behind a tree. He never realized how nice of a day it was today, despite the bitter chill of the cold weather. A menacing face appeared before him.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy" the face mocked, twisted in a malicious glee

Sam straightened his legs again and stared at his adversary defiantly, his mask never giving this person the satisfaction of his suffering. He opened his eyes more taking in more details. The guy before him was blond haired; he was well toned and had an air of arrogance.

He was part of the school football team and had been playing the sport for all of his life. He was more well off that most people in the school and always had the latest things and always went out with the most beautiful and popular girls. He was a little shorter than Sam but his arrogance and the ability to command people was extraordinary and Sam being a new kid at this school had no hope against this man.

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here. It's plain and simple" the jock used his throwing arm and embedded his knuckles into his stomach with one powerful strike.

Sam sagged against his human restraints as he gagged, his stomach begging to be comforted and protected.

"I know you only been here for a few weeks but you also know that the end of year exams will be here in a several months and to ensure my future in football I need to pass. And you're gonna help me"

"You know could've asked like normal people…" Sam gasped getting his breath back somewhat channeling his 'inner Dean'.

The guy snorted before kicking Sam in his shin. Sam groaned.

"Oh Sammy, I don't ask, I take. This is my school. I own everyone and I own you! Why do you think no one wants to be friends with you? Because they know that I don't want them to and anyone who disobeys me gets a good beating from my mates here"

He gestured to the two guys on either side of him, currently holding him up by his arms, sneering and chuckling. Sam stood back up again.

"I suppose you have to learn the hard way on how the chain of command works around here" The jock smirked cracking his knuckles

"Look if you want me to help you pass the exams then I can" Sam reasoned forcefully as the man approached him

The jock smirked, "How nice of you to offer Sammy"

"It's Sam" he snapped

That earned him a punch just below the rib cage.

"I can call you what ever I want to" he sneered, "And I don't need help, I just need answers. I need correct answers to the test. You see I'm very busy playing football and normal studies and working part time that I have no time to study…. And that's where you come in. I know you're really smart and I need a near perfect score to pass so I can do football as a career. Understand?"

Sam wheezed looking at the neatly trimmed grass below his feet. He wished they weren't behind the school in a secluded area. There were no teachers, no students and no witnesses. He knew that this jerk wouldn't do anything horrific but he would feel better if this guy stopped.

"And don't even think of telling anyone of this, not your family or anyone" the bully threatened, "Or I'll really make your life hell!"

Sam couldn't help but snort at the man's threat of hell and that earned him another punch.

"You think I'm bluffing?" the man snapped, "Maybe I'll make your family's life hell. I have connections and don't think I won't carry out my threats"

Sam would have snorted at that as well knowing how nothing fazes his family after all the supernatural turmoil they've went through but just the mere threat of someone hurting his family, the only people he ever knew that he could truly trust and rely upon, made him tense with rage.

The jock saw the man's anger in his eyes and not fear like he was expecting. Every time he threatened someone's family they usually beg and plead with fear. He could see the steely resolve and knew that his guy had spirit. A spirit he was going to enjoy breaking while being here for the rest of the year.

So he punched Sam again and waved his henchmen away. They released him and Sam fell to the ground and for good measure he kicked him in his side and the boy yelped curling into a fetal position. With a chuckle they left him there.

Sam never realized how good the grass felt and smelt after being beaten around. The grass was nice and soft and in his injured state wanted to lay here forever. He waited until the jocks were out of sight before he stubbornly rose to his feet. Stifling groans he bushed all the loose grass from his clothes and hair, trying to not make it so obvious of the injuries he had suffered and walked over to his discarded bag pack.

It was Wednesday afternoon, it was nice but cold. It was a great day to play sports or be out and about. Knowing their father he'll probably get him and Dean to do some conditioning. He mentally groaned as pain rippled up his chest. He really, really wasn't in the mood for that right now.

He made sure everything was in place and that he didn't look like he just received a beating and headed towards the front of the school. Most of the kids were gone by now, eagerly left as soon as the bell rang. He was on his way as well… until he got ambushed and threatened. Even with all his training he couldn't defend himself quick enough and mentally cursed himself. His injuries could have been avoided if he was more on guard.

"_Focus Sam, you're not focused enough! The difference to being prepared or not can mean life or death"_ He could hear his father's reprimand. _Or pride,_ Sam added to the thought sourly.

He made sure he walked in his normal lanky stride as he approached black 1967 Chevy Impala, knowing that if his brother knew he'd been injured he'll launch into his big brother mode and then go after the culprit. Not that he was afraid of the bully, he just didn't want to explain to his brother and his father how he was jumped and beaten, since it could have been avoided if he was on guard. It was embarrassing enough without his family knowing and besides he had worse before. Also if his father found out he may decide that he will need 'special' training so he wouldn't be jumped by humans again.

He mentally groaned at the thought.

He heard rock music blaring from the open windows as he approached the black car. He opened the door and slid in carefully but casually so he wouldn't aggravate his sore torso and throbbing leg.

"You took your sweet time Samantha" Dean greeted as he turned the ignition key, "I was beginning to think that I would have to go into the woman's bathroom and haul you out"

Sam gave a glare he so wasn't in the mood for his brother's comments, "Jerk"

"Bitch" Dean didn't miss a beat

Dean pushed the pedal and the car purred in response. He pulled out onto the road and made their way home.

* * *

Dean glanced over to his brother noticing how quiet he was. Ok sure, Sam being quiet and gazing out of the window wasn't unusual but his brother was late in coming out of the school. He noticed that Sam hadn't made any friends like he usually did and he never talked about school like he did in previous years. Dean put it down to being Sam's last year at school. Sam seemed to thrive on study and research which saved them on a number of their hunts and was sometimes was even more thorough than their father. Maybe, in a way, Sam was preparing himself for the end of school.

After all there was only one way for him to go after school and that was the family business.

His mind drifted to the hunt his father was following up on. He wasn't told much detail other than it could lead to The Demon. That and to watch out for Sam. When didn't he ever? He was 20 years old and he watched out for Sam all his life. The maintaince of Sam's wellbeing was ingrained into his very being that if Sam ever died he wasn't sure if he could ever continue.

He shook his head. He never wanted to go down that path, ever. His thought path switched to his much welcomed Birthday. He was finally going to be 21, not that it really matters, but at least in the legal world he was seen as an adult. He'd been into bars and clubs before under the guise of a fake ID but this felt a little different. It felt good somehow, like some unspoken rite of passage.

That idea was cemented when their Dad gave him down time on that day to do whatever he wanted to. Dean couldn't believe his ears when his father said that they weren't to come along with him to track The Demon down and that he should spend his Birthday however he'd wished. After that his Dad left.

It was that moment that Dean knew that his Dad wouldn't be home for his birthday.

Luckily he was use to their father on long hunts and hardly around on special occasions like Christmas's and Birthdays so his surprise quickly went as it came. Funnily enough the perfect birthday for him was to be with his family, together. No arguments, no hunts and all fun.

He mentally snorted skeptical as that would ever happen at all, let alone on his birthday.

He finally pulled up at their cheap rental home. Dean shut the engine and music off and opened the door. He turned to see Sam climbing out as well, taking a little longer than he did . Dean gave a small smile knowing his little brother wasn't so little any more and took him time to climb out of the car. The Impala didn't provide a lot of leg room and secretly wondered how Sam could stay in the car hours at a time being cramped.

They entered the house, Dean had to push on the door to get it to open. The home was small, musty and really made for one person. In his mind it was in no condition to house a party so he decided on going to a stripper club with a couple of old high school friends and also with Caleb and some his known friends. Since his father practically gave him permission to do what he liked on his birthday he was doing just that.

His mind was drawn back to reality as he heard a door shut. He realized that he was alone and that Sam had gone to one of he small rooms. He also realized that he had been slowly making his way to the kitchen all the while daydreaming about his planned night. He shook his head and blinked wondering why he was getting so lost in his head. It wasn't like him; it was more like Sammy's job to be daydreaming and to be full of ideas. He smirked and opened the bare fridge. He looked around and the only object inside was some moldy bread.

"I suppose we'll be ordering tonight" he chided to himself

* * *

Sam laid on his small rickety bed. He had already assessed his torso and just appeared to only have bruising. It was still sore and was annoying to move about so he laid there not even bothered to get up and do his homework.

Feeling comfortable he started to drift off only to be woken up by the smell of Pizza. His stomach growled with anticipation and he mentally groaned knowing he would have to get up to fulfill his stomach's request. He managed to sit up when Dean opened the door and walked in with the Pizza box. Dean sat on his bed which was situated next to the door and open the pizza box.

Sam reached out and grabbed a slice.

"No food in the fridge again?"

Dean shrugged, "What can I say? I forgot to do some shopping. I'll go tomorrow"

"When's Dad coming back?" he asked

Dean shrugged, "He didn't really say. Probably sometime after my birthday"

Sam bit into his warm slice of pizza as Dean shoved the rest of his crust into his mouth, chewed for a little bit then swallowed.

"No homework tonight?" Dean gestured to the empty bed

Sam shrugged cursing Dean's powers of observation. Usually his bed was scattered with books and homework, since he didn't have a study desk, but tonight he wasn't feeling up to doing anything but to lie down and sleep the aching away.

"No I've done it already" he lied taking another bite into his pizza.

Sam was a little thankful that his brother was occupied in planning his 21st. birthday. He would have never gotten to his room without arousing suspicion if his brother wasn't daydreaming. Sam knew how excited Dean was and he was happy for him. In his mind Dean deserved it and much, much more. Sam even saved up enough money to by something really good for Dean this year. Every other year their birthdays have been meager and humble but this year Dean is going all out and he was as well. He just had to find the time and hide it from him before the day. With Dean preoccupied he knew it wouldn't be that hard to find time.

"Well you're as about as exciting as bat crap" Dean got up and shoved the open pizza box towards him, "You want any more?"

Sam shook his head. Dean shrugged.

"Suit yourself! Baywatch here I come!" he announced before leaving the small room for the living room

Sam finished his slice and laid back down on the bed. His stomach satisfied and his body finally relieved to be not moving he drifted back to sleep with the murmur of the TV blaring in his ears somewhere from the living room.

* * *

Sam entered the school grounds after being dropped off by his brother. He zipped up his jacket, the cold bit his exposed hands and face. Much to his relief it didn't snow around these parts but it was really cold, especially in the morning. This morning he wasn't in the mood to get up. It was cold, he was tired and sore. Sure he got up earlier and colder than that in previous years but that doesn't mean he liked it. Even Dean was hard pressed to get up this morning and complained how cold it was, predicting snow.

He made his way towards the school building passing various students joining the stream of people entering the warm building. His chest throbbed with every stepped and mentally growled wondering why it hurt so much. It was better than yesterday and noticed he wasn't as sore but it was defiantly annoying. At least now it would be easier to hide without wincing every so often.

He entered, the whole school was quiet than normal. Sam looked around and saw people were speaking in hush tones glancing around. Curious he went to his own locker and saw another student nearby filling their locker. He was a kid on the other end of the popularity scale so he knew he could at least wiggle some information out of him.

"Hey do you know what's going on?" he implored

The other kid looked back him, looked around and then leaned in closer. Sam leaned in with him.

"Didn't you hear? Yesterday Scott and his goons were killed" he whispered

Sam blinked. Scott was the arrogant jock who decided to use him as a punching bag yesterday. _He was dead?_

"How?" Sam asked

"He was killed in a car accident while going home from school. He and his friends were hit by a large truck, while crossing the road and died instantly"

Sam let the suddenness of the situation sink in. He couldn't believe it. The guy was alive yesterday being his arrogant self but alive and then on the same afternoon he died. Sam felt somewhat relieved but then quickly felt guilty. It wasn't his first time for being singled out by bullies at schools and even though at the age of seventeen he had hoped he would see the last of them at this school.

He was wrong.

This school seemed to be controlled by Scott and his henchmen. Sam realized this fact when he tried to make friends. At first he thought it was strange when people wouldn't even look at him, shy away or walk away and then he began to realize that this jock was in control. He never came across it this type of thing before (and he's been to a lot of schools) and naturally thought it maybe a supernatural thing. That was until yesterday when Scott jumped him. Sam was convinced he was as human as ever. An arrogant, evil jerk but he was human. He would have chosen to reveal himself and even killed Sam if he was a supernatural creature.

For some reason Sam had a bad feeling and he knew his feelings always turned out right. Maybe he felt a little responsible since he was the last one to see them alive before they had the accident… He had to look more into this. The hunter in him couldn't leave this well enough alone. Sam pulled away as the other kid ran off and then the bell rang for the beginning of class. Sam grabbed his books and headed off to First Period.

* * *

Dean walked into the small town supermarket eager to grab a few things and go. He wasn't the shopping type and he hated to tag along. So in the store and grabbed a basket and went along the aisles grabbing a few staple foods like bread and milk, as well as grabbing tinned food and 'meals in a can' food. He toyed with the idea of cooking tonight but he wasn't much in the mood today so he settled with some microwave ready made meals.

Once making the rounds he approached the checkout. He grinned at the check out chick. The girl seemed to perk up at his presence as if he was the light in her boring monotonous day.

"Hi" she chirped torn between scanning his items and gazing at him

Dean smirked secretly proud he still had the looks in the family. Knowing what effect he had on girls he flashed a charming smile.

"It's a beautiful day outside isn't it?"

She looked up.

"Oh yes very beautiful… erh day, yes day" she stumbled on her own words before looking down to try and hide her embarrassment

Dean watched as her cheeks grew to a pinky red and thought it was somewhat cute. She quickly scanned through the items now. She looked at the cash register.

"That's Fifty dollars and forty two cents" she forced out bravely but not meeting his green eyes.

"Sure" he looked at her name badge, "Nancy"

He handed her a few notes. She quickly gave him his change and he left the store grinning as he went to his car. He turned unexpectedly to see the girl looking at him as he left, then she noticed he was looking at her and she quickly turned away to serve the next customer. He gave a chuckle and pulled out his keys.

_Oh yeah! I still got it!_

Placing the groceries in the trunk he entered his beloved car. His cellphone rang. He pulled out his bulky phone and answered.

"Dean" the voice on the other end addressed

His good mood became serious as his mind preparing for what ever news his father was going to give him

"Dad" Dean acknowledged

"I've got a call from an old friend of mine. He tipped me off to a Black Dog hunting in your area. He's busy on a hunt and had known we were in this state so he had asked me, but since I'm also out of town I want you to take it out"

"Yes sir"

"Good. I'll be home in a few days and keep an eye on Sammy"

"Yes sir"

"Also be careful son"

Then the phone went dead. Dean pocketed his phone, for once not really happy to go hunting. It was before his birthday and he selfishly wanted not to go out and do it but the longer the dog was out there the more chance that people go missing and get to become dog chow.

He always placed others before himself.

He turned the ignition and revved the engine. The car roared in response then settled to a growly purr. He pulled out of the car park and headed for home.

* * *

Sam was finally relieved that school was over. Students were too busy mucking around or feigning sickness because of the recent tragedy. Sam could feel in the air that everyone was happy, somehow liberated from the oppression of this bully. This guy had such a hold in the school and the students that it wasn't noticeable until now. Sam also felt relieved and happy that he didn't have to face another year of bulling and humiliation. Then he felt guilty for feeling that way.

He tried to piece more information from other students but they ended up to be rumors and hearsay that had developed from this morning. By the end of the day the Scott had died from being pushed in front of the truck by the ex- girlfriend of a guy who had a grudge against him.

He swiped the local paper off the teacher's desk to hunt for more information but it just told him what he already knew. At least he knew where it happened; it was two blocks away on a quiet junction. The odds of a truck traveling through there were minimal which struck more suspicion in him.

Sam slid into the passenger seat of the Impala. Loud classic rock, that blared from the speakers, was turned down as he settled in and closed the door. Sam looked over to Dean and his brother smirked.

Dean started the engine and they pulled off into the street. Sam glanced over to Dean who was tapping in fingers in time with the beat of the song. He felt Dean was a little stand off-ish, like he wasn't happy about something. He knew his brother, probably more than he knew himself. Dean learnt to hide everything under a mask and is never the touchy feely type. So Sam learnt to read the signs and mannerisms so when Dean was trying to hide an emotion he could always tell.

Dean must of noticed his silent imploring gaze and shifted in seat, "What?"

Sam considered telling him of his suspicions about the traffic accident and he was about to when Dean looked at him.

Dean gave a sigh, "We got another job"

Sam looked at him, "What?"

"Dad called and got a tip off that there is a Black Dog in the area" Dean said not looking at him, knowing what his reaction would be

Sam sighed feeling annoyed, "And he wants us to take it out?"

Dean nodded, "He's sent me the co-ordinates and its out in the nearby woods. Its routine, we track it and kill it"

Sam sighed. He was getting tired of this life. He had no idea how Dean could live it and breathe it and be ok with it. He saw how his past friends had normal lives, with parents or parent. In a way he envied their ignorance. They had no idea what was beyond the darkness, what evil and supernatural events occur without them knowing. In a way he longed for that ignorance; to not have to worry about their father every time he went off hunting or Dean when he did it with Dad. He knew even if he ever broke away from this life he would always salt the doors and windows and keep weapons hidden and ready.

Because he knew what was out there.

Sam looked at Dean. His focus was on the road but he could see that he wasn't too happy about this either. Sam knew that mood. It was a quiet sulky mood. He wondered why he was in such a mood until he reminded himself Dean was in party mode in his mind. All he was thinking was his birthday in a few days and this was dampening his spirits.

"So lets do it tonight" Sam said suddenly

Dean looked at him strangely, "What?"

"Lets just get this over and done with" Sam explained

"It's a school night"

Sam shrugged, "It's not like we hunted on school nights before"

"That's because Dad made you" Dean muttered

Sam sighed not wanting to have an argument with his brother over their Dad. It was pointless and would be a waste of energy and time. Something he wasn't willing to give at the moment.

"Alright we'll do it tonight. No need to get your panties in a twist" Dean growled

Sam rolled his eyes but he knew his brother was silently happy for the hunt to go ahead tonight. It was good for him too. The sooner they do this the better.

* * *

To Be Continued...

Wow someone died already (its the first chapter) and a hunt is on, but knowing Winchester luck nothing goes to plan...

Please Review! Please let me know what you think of the story! If its good, or its bad then tell me! You're opinions matter... (hmm I heard that phrase before...) You'll get a free virtual cookie with every review submission (yay!)


	2. Dogfight

Thanks for all your kind reviews, alerts and faves! I appreciate them! This is un-beta-ed so I appologize for any grammer and spelling mistakes!

Enjoy!

* * *

Dean remembered when he and Sam first hunted by themselves. It was a cold day in December, a few weeks out from Christmas. Their Dad was off on a major hunt with Bobby while he and Sam stayed behind in a cheap motel.

The hunt was born out of necessity as a spirit had found its way into the motel lodge and was terrorizing everyone who was staying there. He couldn't remember why it haunted or particularly cared since they were protected behind salt lines and charms.

In the end Sam convinced him that they should go after the ghost and try to find out where it was buried. Torn between keeping Sam safe and getting rid of the ghost he opted to stay. His first and foremost job was Sam but his little brother had the stubborn Winchester genes and headed out anyway. Dean had no choice but to go after him with their hunting gear.

After a few enquires from the motel manager they discovered the history of the lodge and suspect why the ghost was haunting the place. Trudging through snow they found the cemetery where the ghost's body was. Dean ended up digging the hard cold icy ground as Sam stood watch with the rock salt shot gun.

Usually they would do this with their father but he wasn't there. It was them two, in the middle of the freezing night and in the heart of a cemetery. He proceeded to salt and pour kerosene on the rotting skeleton. The ghost appeared at the last second just as he was about to strike the match, mad and ugly as hell.

Thanks to Sam's quick reflexes he shot the ghost before it had the chance to attack. He was secretly proud of him, knowing he taught his little brother these things more than their father ever did. He proceeded to burn the corpse and get back to the safe and warm motel, where their father happened to arrive at that moment too.

Dean shook his head and exited the Impala remembering how mad their father was for leaving the hotel, how Sam opted to take the blame instead of him. John punished them both anyway.

He moved towards the trunk and opened, slipping the secret compartment down, giving them a range of weapons to choose from. He felt Sam's presence beside him as he started to pick up a few rifles.

He knew from that day forward that he wanted to hunt with Sam. Sure hunting with their Dad was ok but not much fun. It's usually Dad gives orders and Dean carried them through but with Sam it was more of a partnership or a team. He knew he could always count on Sam and Sam could count on him.

"Does Dad know where the Black Dog's den is?" Sam asked snapping him out of his thoughts

"No just the area it's been hunting" Dean replied as he finally chose a rifle and moved back so Sam could choose his, "It's the classic track and kill. Good ol' fashion hunting, supernatural style"

Sam rolled his eyes but gave a small smile as he picked up his own rifle and a few other knives and ammunition, for the journey. Dean filled his rifle with iron bullets, knowing it one of the few things that could kill the creature.

"You know finding a Black Dog is really hard and it usually keeps to itself" Sam mentioned

Dean cocked his head and smirked, "Like I said. Good ol' fashion hunting, supernatural style"

Sam shook his head, "Still I'm not sure about this. Black Dogs don't really go for people"

"Come on, Sammy, you know as well as I do people are starting to clear the land here to build their white picket fence houses" he was half tempted to roll his eyes

"It's Sam, and I know it just feels like something is off…"

He saw the doubt in his brother's eyes.

"What? Do you want to let it run free killing people?" Dean said seriously

"No"

"Well then let's go!"

Dean decided to lead the way knowing his little brother would follow. Dean didn't like this hunt much either. As usual Sam was right Black Dogs usually keep to themselves but will attack when people intrude on their territory. It depended on what kind of Black Dog it was and what folklore you're reading.

He entered the woodlands, the night air was alive with cricket chirps and nocturnal bird calls. It was a subtle background noise, as they're made their way quietly; carefully treading and avoiding unnecessary movements or noise.

Dean went hunting with his Father once in looking for a Black Dog. His father had hunted some in the past when they were young. He remembered what his father taught him in tracking and hunting the menacing creatures.

So he looked for signs that to the untrained eye would miss, tracks, disturbed shrubbery and claw marks. The problem was that it was quite a vague way to track a supernatural beast since those kinds of marks could be left by typical woodland animals. He supposed that was why Black Dogs were almost a myth since they were hardly seen and they don't leave much of a trail.

He was mindful of Sam's presence behind him; he was on guard and ready. Darkness blanketed them but they pierced though with their torchlight and while moonlight gave an eerie glow to the place. Dean began to wonder if it was such a good idea to track it down at night. The last time he and Dad tracked it around dusk whilst there was still some light from the sun. He knew that the Black Dog hunted at night and it's nearly impossible to find its den, even if it was often told they hung around ruins and large manors.

He was relieved Sam did all this research before hand and sifted though folklore and fact. He only knew how to track down and kill these things with iron bullets.

Dean heard a scuffling noise and cocked his gun and torch towards the noise. An owl blinked back at them annoyed rather than threatened. Dean looked at Sam, who also had his rifle pointed at the creature, before lowering his weapon.

Suddenly there was a short sliding of leaves before a heavy force ploughed into knocking the air from his lungs.

"DEAN!!" he heard his name followed by a low growl by his ear

His mind soon realized the beast they were hunting was right on top of him. He opened his eyes in the pitch blackness, his torch lost in his fall. In the pale moonlight he saw its gnashing white teeth, it blazing red eyes filled with fury. He had never been a dog person and after staring into those hellish eyes he didn't really think he would ever be.

The dog opened its jaw as Dean fumbled in the pitch blackness for his weapon. Suddenly a shot rang out and the large dog yelped before jumping off him. He heard a reloaded and another fire but it was met with silence. Dean puffed, a little shaken by the surprise attack but was alright.

"Dean!"

He turned to find Sam rush up to him. Dean held out his arm and Sam instantly grabbed it and hauled him up.

"You alright?" he asked

Dean nodded bushing himself puffing, "Son of a bitch jumped me!"

He looked at Sam who had a small sad smile on his face and wondered what was wrong. Before he could ask his brother's attention was drawn away. Dean knew that the dog would come back and he was weaponless. He had to find his gun quickly but he wasn't going to leave his brother unprotected.

"Sam, help me find the rifle" Dean almost commanded

Sam's attention snapped back to him before nodding. Using Sam's torch they found his torch a few feet away from them. The torch was busted and so they were down to one light in the darkness. However it unnerved him to be weaponless on a hunt.

"Do you here that?" Sam whispered

"Hear what?" Dean asked

"Exactly, it's silent"

Dean stood motionless his ears picking up silence, except for the tetanus that constantly rang in his ears due to his loud music exposure. Dean wondered if it was because of their shooting but even then the forest would still make some noise.

Then a small noise came from behind. They both turned as a black shadow charged into them a lightning speed. Dean couldn't help but fall to his ass again, his mind flooded with worry for Sam as he saw his brother go down as well. The shadow disappeared and only to reappear in front of him, its red eyes gleaming. Knowing he had no weapon he scuffled back and scrambled to get onto his feet but the dog was quicker, grabbing his leg.

He let out a yell as he could feel its canine teeth puncture into his flesh. The darkness pressed all around him as he tried to get away from the creature.

"DEAN!"

Another gunshot ran through the silent blackness. The dog let go and disappeared. He looked at the only light source which was Sam's flashlight. It lay discarded on the ground.

"Sam?"

A rapid growling bark erupted somewhere in front of him. He heard Sam yelp and the dull clank of a rifle lost. Fear surged through him.

"SAM!!" He hollered struggling to get up and help his brother

His leg protested at the movement shooting pain up from his leg, he gritted his teeth and sucked in air to strangle the cry that would've left his lips.

"SAM?"

Silence met him which scared him more. His eyes searched uselessly as he gritted his teeth and struggled to pull himself forward, towards the discarded flashlight. He heard growling and scuffling.

"SAM?"

"DEAN!"

Dean finally reached the flashlight and pointed at Sam's general voice direction. The light reflected off black mattered fur. The dog was on top of Sam, growling, completely pinning him to the ground. Dean knew how heavy the dog was and quickly scanned around for the rifle.

_I'll be damned if I loose him now!_ His mind screamed

He willed himself to stand but his leg throbbed and protested violently. Adrenalin coursed though his system as he crawled towards Sam. If he couldn't find the rifle he would kill the dog himself! He'll kill it with his bare hands if he had to, to save Sam.

He heard grunting and groaning from Sam, he looked up to see him trying to fight off the snapping jaws. Fear washed over him and froze him in place as Sam's efforts relented and his neck was encased in the dog's mouth.

That moment stopped for him. The image burned into his mind. The death of his brother was imminent. His heart plummeted into despair and helplessness. His body froze with cold fear as his throat tightened suffocating.

It was over.

Dean blinked and saw the dog backing away. He blinked again and saw his brother gasping. Another blink and saw Sam's freaked out expression, but he was alive.

_Alive_.

Dean's heart flooded with joy. His sudden grief was turned to relief and suddenly found himself breathless. He looked towards the dog knowing it was still a threat but it was still backing away. Its burning red eyes were dull and full of fear and it was looking at Sam.

It whimpered and whined, its ears flattened against its black silk body. Sam sat up as the creature continued to back away until it suddenly yelped. Then fell unceremoniously to the ground, its eyes lost its red tinge. Dean blinked, he found himself letting out a breath he had been holding.

In his worry Dean looked towards Sam, mentally assessing his injuries, which to his relief he had none. Perhaps some bruises from being knocked around but nothing to write home about. His eyes flickered to his neck seeing red circles where the canine had come close to piercing his flesh.

He looked up at Sam's face and saw the pure shock. Sam looked at him, recovering somewhat, his eyes squinting in the torchlight.

"Dean" he gasped as he got up and scrambled over to his side.

"I'm fine" Dean rasped

"Yeah right, come on!" Sam muttered pulling his arm over his shoulder

Dean accepted the help knowing there was no way he was going to walk on his own and he had no idea the extent of the injury he suffered in the dark.

It was a slow walk back to the car as pain kept shooting up his leg. He gritted his teeth and sucked air to strangle most noises and when the pain was too intense he let out a growl. He noticed that Sam said nothing, but readjusted himself every so often and went as fast or as slow when needed. He mentally realized that Sam was about his height if not taller now. The brief useless thought took him away from the pain that spasm from his leg. So in a cloudy haze he let his mind wonder and put his movements on autopilot.

Dean was still processing what just happened, not that he wasn't grateful for the Black Dog being dead, but to fall dead so suddenly was unusual. He wasn't sure to put it down to Supernatural unusual or just a normal unusual.

He noticed how quiet Sam was. He would usually murmur some encouragement or give a grunt from time to time but he was completely silent. He knew it was to do with the Black Dog attack just then. Sam was so close to dying that his heart filled with dread at that thought. He suddenly didn't really care how the dog died, as long it was dead and away from them but he knew his was far from over. His brother was going to find out what and why it happened and most likely drive him up the wall, but in the end it would probably be worth finding out.

He sighed gratefully as he eased into the seat of his beloved Impala. The familiar scent of leather filled his nostrils giving him a sense of relief. He eased his leg in and the door shut beside him. Ten seconds later the driver side opened and Sam slid into the seat.

Sam glanced worriedly at him before turning the ignition and reversing down the one way track.

* * *

Sam sewed the last stitches in Dean's leg. He often heard sharp intakes of breath knowing the pain he was causing his brother. He gave Dean some pain killers, the strongest they had but they obviously weren't enough against this. Still Sam focused what he needed to do, knowing the sooner he had done this better off Dean will be.

"Done" he announced as he finished up

"About time!" Dean whined, "Do you know how heavy handed you are?"

"Do you know how much you whine when you're injured" Sam shot back

"Not as much as you. Remember when you got your foot injured on the ghost hunt…" Dean smirked

"My foot really did hurt!" Sam defended

Dean snorted, "You didn't even have any fractures"

"Shut up, jerk" Sam muttered as he stood up

"Whatever, bitch" Dean retorted

Sam moved off the couch and decided to bring the rest of their gear from their car. He knew Dean was useless with his leg injury for the moment so he didn't mind bring in all their junk himself. He stole a glance at Dean, who was now sitting comfortably on an old rental couch watching TV.

He left the house and headed towards the car. His mind swirled with the events of tonight. He rubbed his throat and instinctively swallowing knowing how close he was to having his throat torn out and being mauled to pieces.

He didn't know what had happened. The Black Dog was smart enough to use the element of surprise and knock them both out of the count. He managed to shoot it once when it was on top of Dean but the second time it ravaged Dean's leg and jumped him.

It seemed he could get jumped by dogs too.

Dean's leg was a total mess of blood and flesh. With morbid fascination he cleaned it up and saw the long raking bite mark as if it was taking a chomp our of his brother's calf muscle. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to fix it but Dean insisted on no hospitals so he painstakingly sewed it all together. He can't remember how many stitches, he wasn't really counting. He was focused on keeping his mind on the task and not to drift off into his thoughts.

He grabbed their gear from the trunk, made sure the car was locked before heading back inside. Relieved the hunt was over he put their gear away, he glance over to the clock, it was almost eleven. He looked over to Dean as he channel surfed before landing on a re-run of "The Knight Rider". His brother had a calm but hard expression. He knew Dean was still recovering from what had happened to night, and it wasn't his leg injury. Sam saw the fear in Dean's eyes when the dog pulled away and quite frankly it scared him also.

He knew Dean was only human but in his mind he always grew up with the notion that his big brother and his father were indestructible, until the day you realize that they're not and your childish notions fly out the window.

Still he never wanted cause his brother such distress and thus always hidden things from him.

Seeing that his brother was monetarily comfortable, he decided to shower then see if Dean needed anything and head off to bed.

It was pure relief when he climbed into the shower. He watched the dirt and blood swirl into the shower drain, his thoughts replaying the night over and over. He was so scared when the dog attacked Dean the first time. All he wanted to do was shoot the thing and kill it but it survived and came at them again. Hearing Dean cry out in pain scared him even more. He tried to shoot the dog again but he missed.

The Black Dog blended in so well into the darkness that it was almost impossible to see other than its glowing red eyes.

His injuries burned under the hot water. They were only scrapes and minor cuts. His neck burned the most, reminding him the near miss of a very gruesome attack. He could remember feeling fearful and angry throughout the whole ordeal. As he rubbed the soap over his lanky body as his mind's eye replayed the fear in the Black Dog's eyes. At one moment it was rapid and the next it was backing away from him, whining. Sam didn't know what to think at the time but now he was beginning to wonder.

_Why was the dog cowering away in fear? In fear of him?_

He also noticed how the dog fell dead. It yelped before collapsing as if something happened and ended its life, as if its very heart stopped suddenly.

His mind swirled with confusion. He had to know what had caused this, why the Black Dog fell dead. He was grateful that it did happen but Black Dogs don't just fall dead, he was sure of it.

Suddenly weary he turned the shower off and dried himself. After changing into his night clothes he entered the lounge room to check on Dean. Dean was snoring softly, his head rolled back on the couch, his legs stretched out on the coffee table while the TV blared quietly as colors danced on his skin.

He turned off the TV and headed toward his room. His mind numb and tired he sank on his rickety second-hand bed and lay down. Sleep claimed him as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

Wow thats an eventful night. With Dean injured and a Black Dog suddenly dying something has go to be up...  
More Action and Danger coming up!

Please review! Feedback is goooooooooood...


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